Ratchet-wrench.



@ask-m. f6

W. H. SHANNON.

RATCHET WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.5,1918.

1,265,535, Patented May 7,1918.

WILLIAi/rnn'rrnrcn SHANNON, or Assioma, rLLrNor-s.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

Specification' of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

Application filed February 5, 1918. Serial No. 215,504.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. SHAN- NON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Astoria, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful )tatchetVl/lrench, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to ratchet wrenches.

An object is to provide a rench with means for causing the automatic swinging of the wrench head about its pivotal aXis. to bring the jaws to any desired radial position with respect to the axis thereof so as to facilitate the application of the wrench to a nut where it is difficult to reach the same.

A further object is to equip the wrench with means for frictionally holding` the wrench head in the desired radial position until a change in position is desired when, by a pressure of the hand of the operator, the said frictional holding means is released and the head is caused to automatically rotate under the braking action of the same, until the desired position of the jaws is reached, when the pressure of the hand is released' and the head will remain stationary and may jbe applied to a nut.

A full and'comp'lete Luiderstandingl of the Vinvention may be obtained from a consideration 'of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; it being understood `that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strictl conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so` long as such changes or modifications 'mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out m the appended claims.

Iny the drawing, in'which like reference characters designatel corresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench, the head thereof being shown at one limit of its rotary movement. 4

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal sectionalview thereof, the head being moved to its intermediate position, in alinement with the handle.

Fig. 3 is a view taken at right angles to Y Fig. 2.

Fig.4 is a detail. sectional view looking Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The invention comprises a handle preferably formed of metallic plates 1 and 2, of suiiicient thickness yand strength to withstand the strain to which the device is ordinarily subjected. These plates are spaced apart a suitable distance and are held in such position, at their outer ends, by a spacing block 3 and rivet l, while the opposite ends are rounded and pr vided with suitable apertures for the reception of a rivet 5 having suitable shoulders for spacing the handle plates l and 2 a distance apart equal to the thickness of the spacing block Thesaid rounded ends of the handle plates are concentric with the axis of the rivet ,5., and the plates are thus spaced apart for the purpose of housing certain movable parts about to be described.

A. wrench head 6 having, at one end, adj ustable jaws 7 of any well known construction, is adapted to be mounted for rotation upon the rivet 5, the said head having an eX- tended portion provided with a centrally located pivotal opening 8,. arranged at the end of the head 6 opposite to the adjustable jaws 7. rFhe said extended portion of the head is rounded concentrically to the pivotal opening 8 andl isprovided with a series of `ratchet teeth 9 extending around that end of the wrench head and describing an approximate semi-circle.

A vpair of annular channels 10 and 11 are provided in the wrench head 6 and extend substantially half-way through the same, the said channels being concentric with the pivotal opening` 8. The outer diameter' of the "inner channel 10 is somewhat less than the diameter of the adjacent rounded end of the handle plates land 2, while the outer' diameter of the outer channel 11 is somewhat greater, and, as aconsequence, the said inner channel is completely housed while the outer channel is partly exposed for a purpose to be described. (Fig. 5.)

By the construction disclosed annular walls 12 and 13 are defined between the inner channel 10 and the pivotal opening S and the inner channel 10 and outer channel 11respectively, and said walls extend somewhat beyond the adjacent face of the wrench head G and are adapted to bear upon A the inner' face of the plate 1, and prevent any lateral movement of the head 6 during its rotation about the pivot v5.

.operator to rock the A coiled spring 14 is located within the inner channel 10 in surrounding relation to the annular wall12,""and has one terminal 15 bent to enter a suitable perforation in the plate 1, while the other end 16 of the coiled spring is similarly anchored in the rotary wrench head 6, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The normal tendency of the spring 14 is`to swing the wrench head to a position opposite to that shown in Fig 1 of the drawing, or to the right and it is necessary to manually force the head to the left, against the pressure of said spring, as illustrated in said figure.

A pivoted, hand-actuated pawl 17 is mounted between the plates 1 and 2, upon the rivet 18, which is located adjacent to the rotating head 6, and which may be suitably shouldered to rigidly space the plates 1 and 2 similarly to the rivet 5. The pawl 17 is angularly formed and provided with a suitable aperture 19 for the reception of the yrivet 18, and has oppositely disposed bosses 20 surrounding the aperture 19 forycentering the pawl 17 between the plates 1 and 2 and to act as a bearing for the said pawl. The intermediate portion of the pawl having the pivotal opening 19 extends substantially transversely of the handle plates 1 and 2 and between the same, while the finger-en gaging portion 21 of the pawl, extends in the direction of, but at a slight angle to, the handle, and is sufficiently exposed beyond the adjacent edges of the plates 1 and 2 to be readily actuated by the fingers of the pawl about Vits axis upon the rivet 18. i

That end of the pawl 17 opposite the 1inger-engaging portion 21 is extended beyond Kto avoidany possible interference with the the other side of the handle and is provided with a tooth 22 directed toward the axis of rotation o of the wrench head 6, and in a position to engage t-he arcuate series of teeth 9, to arrest, when forced into such enin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

An extension 23 is formed upon the toothed end 22 of the Vpawl 17 and is adapt- 50 4faces of the plate 1 and the rotary wrench .head 6, though it has been foundadvantalgeous to cut away that portion of'the plate ed to enter the space between the adjacent 1 located at the point where the extension 23 passes therein, as indicated at 24, s0 as movement of the pawl about its axis.

The terminal of the extension 23 is pro- 1 vided with a lug 25 disposed at right angles thereto, so as to extend into the outer chair gagement with the ratchet wheel.Y The exfbe.

is located free in the outer channel 11 and the'fwrench head may automatically kswing Lto the right under the action of the spring 14.

An ordinary leafspring 26 isyzmounted between thek plates 1 and''2 in a'manner to bear against the inner side of vthe iingerengaging portion of thepawl 17,and to force the same outwardly into exposed poe sition. l.

In the operation of the device'the jaws 7 are set to receive the nut tol be'l turned, Vand the head 6 may be manually swung t0 the extreme left or to anyposition desired when, l

it will be seen, the spring 26, which is considerably stronger than the coiled. spring` 14,k will maintain the terminal lug 25 in frictional engagement with the outer ywall oflthe channel 11 and prevent the head 6 from being actuated by the said spring 14. If the nut be located in ,some inaccessible place,

where only one'handmay' be used .in the operation, the wrench head'may' be automatically moved to a more convenient position for engaging the'nut, `by a simple pres- "sure of kthe fingers upon the .porti'0n21 of thefpawl 17, to ease up on the lug 25, and

by releasing'the inger-pressure, the" head 6 v,will stop at the 'desired position.` i

1When the jaws 7 have been applied to the nut'frOm any angle, the tooth 22 is then forciblyl engaged with the yadjacent* tooth 9' by pressure on the inger-engaging portion 2l of the pawl 17, and the ,headV 6 'i's thenforcibly rotated aboutftheaxis of the nut as the casemay It will be readily apparent that the oppositerotation of the nut maybe accomy plished by simply reversingthewrench. z gagement by the hand of the operator, any i movement of the head to the right, as viewed lFrom the foregoing it is thought the a'd-j vantages of the wrench will be fully apprebeen provided, having sought. It is not absolutelynecessary that the channel 11 should' be annular, as the f full vcircle is not required to make an 'operative structure.

what is claimed iS;-

' '1.' A ratchet wrench comprising a handle y a wrench head pivoted thereto, said head having a curved channel formed therein concentric with its axis of rotation, ratchet teeth provided on the head outside the channel, a spring Afor automatically moving the' head about its axis in one direction, a

toothed pawl for Vengagement ,with the ratchet teeth of the head for forcing the latter inthe opposite direction, said pawl .hav tension 23 is of a length topermit of ing an extension terminating in a lugenter'v ing the curved channel in the head, and a second spring bearing against the paWl for forcing the said lug against the outer Wall of the curved channel to hold the head against movement by the first named spring.

2. A ratchet Wrench comprising a handle having a rotary, toothed Wrench head provided With nut-engaging jaws and Concentric inner and outer channels formed in one face thereof about its axis of rotation, a coiled spring mounted Within the inner channel and having its ends connected to the head and the handle respectively for causing the head to rotate in one direction, an arcuate series of ratchet teeth provided on the head in surrounding` relation to the channels, a paivl pivotally mounted in the handle and having a tooth adapted to be manually pressed into engagement with the ratchet teeth, a lug carried by the pawl and adapted to engage against the outer Wall of the outer channel in the head, and a second spring, stronger than the rst named spring bearing against the pawl for maintaining the lug in such engagement.

3. A ratchet Wrench comprising a handle, a Wrench head pivoted thereto, a spring for automatically moving the head about its pivot in one direct-ion, said head having ratchet teeth on its exterior, a paWl for engagement with the ratchet teeth, a spring for the pawl having a greater force than the spring for the head, and means provided on the paWl to engage the head when said pawl is out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, said means serving as a friction brake to hold the head against movement hy its spring.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ovvn, I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM HETTRICK SHANNON.

itnesses THos. W. TOLER, MAURICE EDWIN REILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

